Life, 1926-03-18 · page 31 of 44
Life — March 18, 1926 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **car advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the Chrysler Imperial "80" luxury automobile to affluent 1920s readers. The ad emphasizes the car's specifications (92 horsepower, 80 mph, seating for 2-7 passengers) and appeals to aspirational buyers by claiming the vehicle sets a new standard beyond comparison—literally stating competitors cannot be measured against it because it represents entirely "new" engineering principles. The illustration shows the car in an idealized suburban setting with a pleasant home and landscaping, visually communicating wealth and leisure. The tagline "as fine as money can build" directly targets wealthy consumers. This reflects 1920s-30s advertising strategy: positioning luxury automobiles as status symbols for the prosperous middle and upper classes during the pre-Depression era. The "Imperial" branding itself suggests prestige and superiority.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a ~~ FINE UTMOST LUXURY Oy» FOR 2. TO 7 PASSENGERS e+} 4 N wv 4 N gz yr ah HORSE-POWER 80 MILES PER HOUR BEYOND ALL COMPARISON Literally no comparison can be made of the quality and Prnormancs of the Chrysler perial “80 : For Chrysler engineers have advanced so far in creating new and different results out of established engineering principles that there is noth- ing like these new results— and therefore no basis for comparison. Instead, fine motor cars will be measured henceforth by this new Chrysler criterion, which comprehends a great increase in power, in speed capacity and pliability, a new luxury of operating smooth- CAN BUILD LIFE ness, new heights in every phase and detail of luxurious Toad ease. Everyone aspires to possess in his car the finest perform- ance, the greatest luxury possible. And so we say to every man and woman who desires to own a car as fine as money can build, you owe it to yourself—no matter what car you may be driving today—to know by actual experience the wonder and charm of the Chrysler Im- perial “80”; and 4000 Chry- sler dealers are ready todem- onstrate the entirely new interpretation which it gives to superfine motoring. CHRYSLER SALES CORPORATION, DETROIT, MICHIGAN CHRYSLER CORPORATION OF CANADA, LIMITED, WINDSOR, ONTARIO COte Ne CHRYSLER IMPERIAL ‘SO’ 29 wv CHRYSLER IM CHRYSLER": $500; Clb Coupe, twheels optional cise tax Bodies by Fisher ¢ madels equinped « ‘There are Chrysler service everywhere. All deale All Chrysler models are by the Fedo. clusive with C and cannot be evidence of tan comicbooks.com